


A Slip of the Tongue

by twilitfalchion



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: F/M, Love Confessions, Misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:21:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24559849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twilitfalchion/pseuds/twilitfalchion
Summary: Corrin tries to console Felicia after her latest mishap, but a slip of the tongue leads to an unexpected confession.
Relationships: Felicia/My Unit | Kamui | Corrin
Comments: 1
Kudos: 14





	A Slip of the Tongue

_"Oh, stupid Felicia! Why can’t you do anything right?”_

______________________

After staring in frustration at the latest set of dishes that she had somehow dropped and shattered on the drab stone floors of Castle Krakenburg, Felicia proceeded to get the broom and pan from the kitchen pantry to clean up her fumble. As she swept up the mess, the domestically inept Ice Tribe maid became so lost in her irritation and self-loathing that she did not notice her lord Corrin enter the kitchen behind her. Continuing her internal diatribe, she gradually stepped further and further backward while sweeping until she tripped over an unfortunately placed piece of stone that protruded out from the otherwise smooth floor. However, instead of meeting a painful landing against the hard surface beneath her, Felicia fell into something much softer and warmer. Looking up at the person who had caught her, Felicia immediately felt a blush rising to her cheeks upon realizing that it was Corrin who had kept her from falling by catching her in his arms. Separating from her lord as quickly as possible, Felicia hung her head ashamedly and sputtered, tears beginning to well in her eyes:

“Lord Corrin! I-I’m so sorry that you had to see me like this! *sniff* No matter how hard I try, I always end up failing in everything I do! I hate being s-such a bother to you and the r-rest of the servants! *sniff* You would probably be better o-off not having me be your m-maid anymore!”

As she stammered and fought back the tears that were starting to run down her face, Corrin quickly stepped out and returned after obtaining a handkerchief for Felicia to use. Deeply sympathizing with her plight, Corrin gently wiped Felicia’s tears away himself and said in a soothing voice:

“Felicia, you know as well as I do that I could never ask you to leave when you’re offering your best effort in your work. It may not always turn out how you want it to, but I know that every time you set out to perform your duties, you give every bit of yourself to the tasks you’re assigned. That’s one of the many reasons I admire you greatly.”

As the words left Corrin’s lips, he suddenly became aware of how they could be construed, quickly following by saying: “A-and the rest of the staff as well, o-of course.” Although the Nohrian prince may have thought that he saved himself from an uncomfortable situation, the way that he became so flushed and nervous after his slip of the tongue betrayed the true meaning behind his words. Though Felicia’s upset state prevented her from catching the change in her liege’s demeanor.

Instead, Felicia’s mind had stopped a few moments earlier and focused on the statement before Corrin’s hastily added correction: _“That’s one of the many reasons I admire you greatly.”_

 _“Lord Corrin admires me?! How could he admire anyone so useless? Does that mean?—No! Stupid Felicia! That could never happen!”_ As these confusing thoughts rolled around in her head and her body became increasingly shaky, Felicia anxiously looked at Corrin and mumbled something that sounded to him like “ThankyoumilordI’mneededsomewhereelserightnowbye!”

Appearing to others as a black-and-white blur, and almost knocking over a few of her fellow servants along the way, Felicia rushed as quickly as possible to the storage room in the eastern wing of Castle Krakenburg, hoping to find a few moments to herself to process what Corrin had said. Sitting on a crate of Nohrian wine, Felicia’s thoughts scrambled through her head just as frantically as she had dashed through the castle halls moments earlier:

_“Felicia, collect yourself! There’s no way Lord Corrin could have meant that as he said it! Don’t even let that possibility enter your mind! Although, Lord Corrin has always been such a kind, caring person to serve, and the way he spoke to me so softly—Stop! It would be horribly improper for any kind of feelings to develop between a lord and his servant. Just accept that he was pitying you and leave it at that!”_

Forcing herself to accept this conclusion, Felicia promptly stood up and went to exit the storage room, only to hear her lord’s voice in the hallway nearby.

“Jakob? Have you seen Felicia? She seemed very upset when I saw her last and I wanted to make sure that she is okay.”

“Milord, that remarkably scatterbrained servant you choose to keep in your employ was last seen racing into the storage room over there roughly fifteen minutes ago.”

“Thank you, Jakob.” _“I hope she’s okay. I wonder if I offended her somehow.”_

_“No, no, no! If Lord Corrin sees me in here, he’ll think I’m hiding or sulking like some child!”_

In a panic, Felicia tried to find a place to hide but only succeeded in causing one of the stray bottles of wine sitting on top of a crate to fall and shatter just as Corrin entered the room. Once again mortified at her incompetence, Felicia could only look back at her lord, unable to form any words in response.

As if he were completely unaware of the fact that she had caused yet another mess, Corrin said nothing, instead going to get a broom, cloth, and a dustpan to help Felicia clean up.

Utterly perplexed by Corrin’s lack of displeasure with her, Felicia peppered him with a barrage of questions when he returned to assist her:

“Why are you so forgiving of all my mistakes? Why would you keep a failure like me as your servant? Why would you help someone who is so far beneath you? Why—?”

Before she could finish asking another question, Corrin, exasperated at his maid’s rambling self-criticism, said in a raised tone:

“Felicia! Why would you ever think that you’re so far beneath me? You’ve been closer to me than my own family for most of my life and have made living in this castle far more bearable than it would have been otherwise.” Softening his tone, he continued: “I don’t see you…a-and the other servants as subordinates. I see you all as my closest friends and family. That’s why I overlook any mistakes you make and try to help you when I can.”

Upon hearing this, the Ice Tribe maid was both shocked and happy to hear Corrin’s words of affirmation, but she couldn’t help but notice how nervous Corrin was after saying this, as well as how he’d become flushed to the tips of his pointed ears.

Worried that he might be feverish, Felicia swiftly walked up to Corrin and pressed the back of her hand to his head, asking: “Lord Corrin, are you feeling okay? You look so red! Lying down for a while might be good for you.”

Recoiling at her touch, Corrin stammered out: “N-no, Felicia, I-I’m feeling f-fine! It’s just that…I-I wasn’t completely honest w-with you when I told you that I saw you all as m-my friends and family.”

After the heartfelt way Corrin had spoken of the castle staff and herself, Felicia was puzzled to hear he was suddenly admitting that it might not be entirely true.

Sensing her confusion, Corrin willed himself to say what he had failed to say before: “For most of the castle servants, what I said is true. But, when it comes to you, Felicia, I think of you as much more than a friend or family member. All the years we’ve spent t-together have made me l-love you.”

As Corrin made his true feelings known, Felicia’s mind slowed to a halt, not processing what he was saying. When the weight of Corrin’s confession hit her, she found that her face suddenly felt like it was on fire and that her legs felt wobbly beneath her. Unable to accept that her lord could truly love her, Felicia would have tried to convince him that he was making a mistake, but the irrepressible joy that filled her overrode any protests she might have given. Instead, her joy gave way to laughter as she hesitantly looked to Corrin for permission to hug him. Opening his arms to hold her, the Nohrian prince and his maid stayed locked in their embrace, enjoying the new sensation of being close in a way that they hadn’t been before.

Unbeknownst to the lovers, however, were the butler and maid peering in through the crevice between the door and its frame, watching Felicia and Corrin’s interactions from beginning to end.

As Corrin and Felicia continued in their expressions of affection for each other, Flora gave Jakob a self-satisfied look, whispering:

“You now owe me twenty gold. You said that she would confess first!”

“I’m astonished that Lord Corrin would be so bold as to admit his feelings before your klutzy sister did!”

“A bet is a bet. Now, pay up!”

“I will pay you when I have the funds!”

“Don’t make a bet when you can’t follow through!”

“Do not tell me what I should or should not do!”


End file.
